Refrigerating apparatus



J1me 1937- I J. R. HORNADAY REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 31, 19342 Sheets-Sheet2 I :P- le I 4 INVENTOR. //o JAMi: W. Ham/1114x- MWQAATTORNEY.

Patented 'June 22, 1937 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ApplicationOctober 81, 1934, Serial No. 750,850

; 4 Claims This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and moreparticularly to a novel refrigerant liqueiying unit embodying ahermetically sealed motor-compressor particularly adapted for units oflarge capacity.

It is an object of the invention to provide a hermeticallysealedmotor-compressorunit having a removable frame within the housingupon which the motor and compressor are mounted and may be operated as aunit outside the housing.

A further object is to provide a, novel means for insuring themaintenance of an unfailing supply of lubricant to the top bearing ofthe motorcompressor unit.

It is also an object to provide a motor-compressor unit which is quietin operation and which embodies a built in muilier for the dischargedrefrigerant.

A further object is to provide a water cooled refrigerant liquefyingunit having provision for automatically draining the-chamber or chamberscontaining cooling fiuid at each time that the supply of cooling fluidis cut off.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section of a motorcompressor unit embodyingthe present invention, and is taken on line ll of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the unit shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a cross section on line 2-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is adiagrammatic view' of a refrigerating apparatus including a refrigerantliquefying unit I embodying the present invention.

40 Referring now to Fig. -1, there is illustrated a motor-compressorunit comprising a dome shaped housin base plate, l2 which is secured tothe dome memher, as by welding, at l4. The dome member I ll 45 has aninternal cylindrical bore I 6 within which is slidably fitted a mainframe It. The frame I8 is comprised of two portions, 20 and 2, the upperportion 20 of which is provided with an internal bore 24 which iseccentric to the external 50 surface of the portion 20. An upper bearing26 is. supported on the frame portion 20, preferably by a plurality ofintegrally formed spider arms 28. The lower portion 22 of the frame I8is provided withan upstanding rim 30 which fits snug- 5 1y within theinternal bore 24 of the frame memframe member 20 as by screws 4i.

' tion 66 also is provided with electric current leadlil having itslower end closed with a.

ger 20 and is secured thereto by bolts 22 (see ig. 2. The member 22carries the lower bearing 34.

Journaled in the bearings 28 and 34 is the main shaft 36 which carriesat its upper end the rotor 5 38 of an electric motor. The stator 40 ofthe motor is secured to the internal bore 24 in the The shaft 36projects below the bearing 34 and at its lower end is formed with acrank pin 43 forming part 10 of a reciprocating piston compressor. Apair of compressor cylinders 42 and 44 arebolted to the lower surface ofthe frame member 22 and preferably adjustably mounted thereon by meansof keys 46. The cylinders are movable radially due to a limitedclearance around the bolts 45 in order to vary the clearance volume ofthe compressor. Suitable pistons v48 are reciprocated within thecylinder 42 by means of the usual connecting rods 50 which in turn arejournal'ed on the crank pin 43. The crank pin 43 is preferably drilledfor lubricating the bearings thereon and a downwardly directed lubricantscoop 52 is provided for delivering lubricant to the bearings underslight pressure.

I Each of the cylinders 42 and 44 is provided with intake valves 54 andexhaust valves 56 of suitable design in their respective cylinderheads.v Communicating with the intake valves 54 through suitable intakepassages 58 is an intake manifold 60 having a separable joint 62situated within the limits of the internal bore I6 of the housing l0. Asuitable external inlet connection 64 is provided within a protrudingportion 66 formed on the housing member ill. The protruding porinconductors 68 which are connected to the windings of the stator 40. Theexhaust valves 56 are in communication with outlet conduits 1.0 formedin the frame l8. The conduits Ill preferably comprise enlarged portions12 formed in the frame member 20 at its thicker portion for the purposeof acting as a sound muiller. The outlet conduits Ill terminate indischarge portions 13 opening adjacent the upper bearing 26 for thepurpose of directing entrained lubricant upon the bearing 26.

The bottom housing member I2 is formed with a concave portion 14 whichacts as a lubricant sump and within which is provided a circular screenmember 16 for filtering the lubricant before entering the lubricantscoop 52. A Jacket or chamber 18 is provided on the outside of thehousing member l0 through which water or other cooling fluid may becirculated for withdrawing 66 heat from the stator 40 and from thecompressed conduit I02.

gas within the housing I0. The frame is together with the motor andcompressor parts may be assembled outside the casing and operated as aunit before its insertion into the housing I0. After satisfactorytesting, the motor, compressor and frame may be inserted into the openend of the housing I0 and secured thereto by bolts 80, which in turn,are anchored to holding lugs 82 weldedto the housing iii. The bolts 80pass through elongated apertures 84 in the frame I8 so that the entireunit may be rotated relative to the housing I0 during assembly. Theframe I8 is provided adjacent its thinner portion with a flat orrelieved portion 86 which permits the frame to pass the inlet connectionat the separable joint 62. After the frame has been inserted into thehousing sufficiently to pass the inlet connection 84, the frame may berotated into the position illustrated andbolted in place, after whichthe separable connection 62 is coupled together.

The motor-compressor unit is particularly adapted for use in arefrigerating apparatus which may comprise a water cooled condenser 88to which compressed refrigerant is delivered from the outlet 90 of thecompressor by the conduit 92. Refrigerant liquefied in the condenser 88is delivered by conduit '94 to a liquid refrigerant control device 96and expanded in the evaporator 98. The expanded refrigerant is deliveredto the inlet 64 of the compressor by conduit I00. Water or other coolingfluid is preferably conducted from a suitable source to the condenser 88by a is conducted to the cooling jacket of the compressor unit by aconduit I04. The water inlet I06 to the jacket I8 is preferably locatedat the bottom of the jacket as illustrated (see Fig. 3) while the outletfrom the Jacket is of special construction. The outlet preferablycomprises a fitting I08 situated at the top of the water jacket and anadditional outlet fitting IIO situated at the bottom of the waterjacket. The outlet H0 is of restricted size so that it will not passwater at as great a rate as water is delivered to the jacket through theinlet connection I06. The discharged water may be conducted to asuitable drain bya conduit I I2'which communicates with both outletfittings I00 and H0. The water outlet connections from the condenser 88comprise upper and lower fittings III and H3 which may be similar to thefittings I08 and I I0 respectively.

Suitable electric control devices are provided .in the refrigeratingapparatus which may comprise a thermostatic switch H4 in one ofthecurrent supply lines I I8 and suitable motor starting control devicesII8. An automatic water valve I20 of suitable type is provided in thewater inlet line I02 to maintain the supply of cooling water closedduring the idle periods of the motor-compressor unit, and as illustratedcomprises a soleiioid valve connected to the current supply lines to beenergized concurrently with the motorcompressor unit.

In operation, the system being suitably charged with refrigerant and abody of lubricant within the housing I0 of the compressor, thermostaticswitch H4 is closed causing the starting device I I8 to initiateoperation of the motor-compressor unit. Rotation of the shaft 36 causesreciprocation of the pistons48 in the well known manner,

and withdraws expanded refrigerant through the inlet connection 84 andthe inlet manifold 80.

Compressed refrigerant is delivered through the outlet conduits 10, themuillers I2 and the dis- From the condenser 88, the water chargeorifices 18. The lubricant entrained in the refrigerant delivered fromthe orifices 13 maintains the bearing 28, well lubricated. The lowerbearing 84 is lubricated by the splash within the lubricant sump 14while the bearings on the crank pin "are lubricated by the lubricantscoop 52. The mufflers 12 being situated in the thick walled portion ofthe frame member 20, efllciently damps vibrations in the body of gaspassing through the outlet conduits I0 and in addition, being of largerdiameter than the remainder of the conduit I0, permits the dischargedgaseous refrigerant to slow down and give up some heat to the adjacentwater jacket 18. As long as the switch H4 remains closed, the watervalve I20 will be energized permitting water to'be delivered throughconduit I02 to the condenser 88 and through conduit I04 to the waterjacket I8. As soon as the thermostatic switch opens, the water valveI20will close, thus shutting off the supply of cooling fluid to thecondenser 88 and the water jacket I8. The water containing chambers ofthe-refrigerant liquefying unit are self-draining in the followingmanner. Since the condenser 88 is situated above the water Jacket '18,all the water in the jacket 18 will drain by gravity through connectionH0 to the drain. As soon as jacket I8 is emptied of water in thismanner, the condenser will be emptied in a similar manner through therestricted outlet H3. The-conduits I04 and I I2 are made suflicientlylarge to permit air to bubble upwardly. therethrough to displace thewater being drained. This results in effectively draining the entireunit of water ateach time that the motor-compressor unit shuts down,thus eliminating the possibility of a freeze-up in cold weather. Uponrestarting of the refrigerant liquefying unit, the water is deliveredthrough the valve I20 to condenser 88 at a greater rate than it willpass through the restricted outlet III.

This results in the level of water in the con- While the form ofembodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferredform, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, allcoming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What'is claimed is as follows:

1. A cooling system for a refrigerant liquefying unit including acompressor having a vertically extending chamber for cooling fluid, aninlet to said chamber for cooling fluid, an outlet for cooling fluidlocated at the top of said chamber and an additional outlet located atthe bottom of said chamber, said additional outlet being restricted topass cooling fluid at a rate less than the rate of fluid flow throughthe inlet whereby said unit will automatically be drained of coolingfluid at each time the flow of cooling fluid thereto is cut off.

2. A water cooled refrigerant liquefying unit comprising means forming achamber for cooling water, an inlet to said chamber for cooling water,an outlet for cooling water adjacent the top of said chamber and anadditional outlet I a rate less than the rate 01- flow into saidchamber, whereby the unit will automatically drain itself each time thecooling water flow is cut oil.

3. A water cooled refrigerant liquetying unit comprising means fortranslating and condensing a refrigerant, means for circulating coolingwater in thermal exchange with said unit, means automatically causingthe flow of water when said unit operates and stopping the flow of waterwhen said unit stops, and means for automatically draining saidliqueiying unit or water whenever said unit stops.

4. A water cooled refrigerant liqueiyins unit including a compressor anda condenser. means for circulating cooling water in thermal contact"with said condenser and compressor. means automatically controlling theflow of water to cause;

it to flow whenever the compressor operates and to stop whenever thecompressor stops. and means automatically draining said unit ofwaterwhen-' ever the compressor stops.

